"When training new DJs, what are the most important things tostart with?"

ANSWER:

TELL THEM STORIES...

..about how & why you got into radio, who influenced you, your bestradio moments, what you still hope to achieve. War stories aboutbroadcasting despite impossible conditions, accidentally lockingyourself out of the studio, on-air flubs.

Stories about personal connections that have been made withlisteners: The girl who called to request her late grandmother'sfavorite song...The fan who sent you chocolate chip cookies on yourbirthday...The listener who berated you for mispronouncing thename of his favorite artist.

Stories about transistor radios under the bed covers and at thebeach. Endless struggles to control the car radio buttons. "Wouldyou PLEASE turn that down" and "Wait, I want to hear this!"

Novelty records and girl groups and Motown and Stax and Cadence and Elvis from the waist up and hearing "I Want To Hold Your Hand"for the very first time.

Stories about lovesick teenagers dedicating songs back & forth toeach other. About children turning on the radio before they're evenawake, feverishly hoping to hear those magic words from their localdisc jockey: "No school, snow day...."

About loneliness and a solitary voice reaching out to you. Aboutmaking a complete stranger laugh or reflect or remember. Aboutbaseball games from far away on car radios. About someone drivingacross town or across country, with only you and your radiobrethren for company.

Stories about Larry Lujack and John Records Landecker andRobert W. and Wolfman Jack and Gary Owens and Dr. Don andKenny Everett (ask someone from the UK about Kenny) and thosecrazy young jocks who brought American-style radio to Europe inthe 1960s by taking to the seas in honest-to-God pirate radio ships(imagine broadcasting under the worst possible conditions; nowimagine doing it while seasick).

Stories about bad news and everyone immediately turning on theradio. About sad news and where you were when you heard it. Aboutpractical jokes and misunderstandings and mild or wild revenge.

About getting fired, packing up the U-Haul, and being scared all overagain. Getting angry, getting older and "the good old days." Static-yvoices criss-crossing in the night. Fifteen-hour air shifts, flakyjocks, disappearing engineers.

Stories about legendary radio people you almost met in an elevatorat a convention. The major market PD who did you a favor; therequest line caller you can't forget. Practical jokes on the news guy,disappearing stationery, and a bedroom full of promo records thatone day will be worth something.

Floods and tornado watches and power outages and school lunchmenus. Lost dogs, lost accounts, lost tempers.>Jiving, shouting, rhyming, whispering. Hiccup remedies, lemon 'n'honey, and good old-fashioned adrenalin to save the day.

Embarrassed, elated, delighted. Hi-Low, Name It And Claim It, andDollar-A-Holler. Playlists and station surveys and Good Guys. Q, Zoo,and Boss. Bob & Ray and Mike & Elaine and The Monitor Beacon.

Beat the Bomb and Lucky Bucks and Battle of the Bands. Pinning theneedle, pegging the meter, riding gain. Feedback and wrapping thecapstan and "Hold on a sec, I gotta go on the air..." Sign on, signoff, warming up the filament and Compression, Compression,Compression!